Waiting
by Punzie the Platypus
Summary: On Christmas Eve, Jamie, along with Sophie, stays up in his living room to see North come by with the gifts. Jack Frost comes over after making a winter snow, and the two of them wait for North, who comes along with his elves. After the movie. Merry Christmas!


**Thank you, God, for everything. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Rise of the Guardians. If you haven't seen that movie, STOP. GO TO THE THEATER. WATCH IT NOW (buy a ticket first, though). Seriously, if it turns a good box office, WE MIGHT GET A SEQUEL. And we need a sequel. Thanks for reading! God bless you!  
**

Jamie was bouncing up and down on his living room sofa, too excited to do anything else. It was late, around eleven-thirty already, and he was in his pajamas. His mom shook her head and put another blanket on the sofa before peeling a jumpy and flailing Sophie off of her shoulder and onto the sofa.

"He's coming! He's coming! He's really, really coming!" Jamie said, taking a quick break from his jumping to look at his mom in excitement. His mom nodded and put a blanket around Sophie, though she squealed and nearly flung it off. It was Christmas Eve, and the two young Bennetts were going to stay up to see Santa Claus come down the chimney.

"Okay, calm down, Jamie," Mrs. Bennett said, raising an eyebrow as she stepped back. "Remember, don't stay up too late."

"We know. Just until Santa comes," Jamie said above Sophie's excited, "Santa Claus! Santa Claus! Santa Claus!"

"Yes, Santa Claus, Sophie," Mrs. Bennett said tiredly, knowing that the two kids were just going to stay up late and then get up late and destroy the house with their gifts. Oh well. As is the Christmas holidays. "Good night, you two."

"Night, Mom!" Jamie said enthusiastically as Mrs. Bennett turned off the light, leaving only the gentle white light of the snow coming in from the window and the bright yellow, cozy light falling from the Christmas tree to illuminate the living room.

Jamie whooped again and fell on the sofa, laughing as he turned to Sophie, who was hugging one of her toys. "Santa Claus will be here soon, Sophie!"

"Bunny, Bunny, Bunny!" Sophie said excitedly, dropping her toy and throwing open her childishly chubby arms, her straggly blonde hair covering her face.

Jamie shook his head and said, "The Easter Bunny is for Easter, Sophie. He's not coming for months."

"No Bunny?"

"Nope."

"Oh," Sophie said sadly, her little face turned down.

"Don't worry about it, though, Sophie," Jamie said cheerfully. "It's Christmas Eve, and soon we're going to hear the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh to the roof." The boy stepped off of the sofa, and his little sister leaned hopefully toward him. Jamie had his arms out wide as he said, "We'll hear him coming down the chimney, and then the sack of toys will fall! And then we'll see him!"

"Santa!" Sophie said, her arms over her head, and she fell off of the sofa and onto a soft mound of blankets on the floor. Jamie barely noticed as their gray-hound, Abby, walked quickly over to the little girl and started to lick her face, making her giggled and shriek with excitement.

Jamie let out a breath and turning to the clock, saw that it was eleven-thirty-five. His face hopeful, he said to himself confidently, "He'll be here."

* * *

A cool wind filled the sky, whooshing and sending a light sprinkle of snow that was coming down from Jack Frost's fingers down to the town below. He was riding the wind, as usual, his cold, pale hair ruffled in the sharp waves. His staff in his hand, he flew down with the wind down into one of the many neighborhoods in the town of Burgess. It was late, for most people, anyway. Jack was just getting started, though. It was Christmas Eve, and this place deserved and was due a Christmas snow.

"Snow for Christmas. Definitely can make that happen," Jack said to himself as he landed neatly on a roof, the tips of his fingers flat against the cold tiles. He looked around the Christmas light-lit houses, with their snowmen and Santa decorations. None of him, though. He was looking for a particular house, and he smiled to himself as he straightened, seeing as the house he was looking for was right across from him.

He looked around and spotted a wind. He leapt and the wind caught him, and letting out a whoop, the boy landed on the snow-covered front yard of the house. He quickly walked past the snowmen that lined the yard, up to the front window. He put a hand against the window, his other holding his staff, and intricate snow designs seeped from his fingers, crackling as they started to spread over the window.

Looking inside the house, he spotted a living room. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace, a table with a lamp, and a Christmas tree in the corner near a bookshelf. Across from the Christmas tree and the fireplace was a green sofa, covered in pink and yellow and blue blankets. In one corner of the sofa was Sophie, who had fallen asleep in an awkward position, her arms all flailed as she lay, her legs against the pillow, her head hanging down over the sofa, her hair and smile upside down.

Next to her was Jamie, and he was watching the fireplace with a delighted look in his eye. His dog was lying next to him, her tail limply moving back and forth, up and down.

Jack knew what they were doing, and he said, startling Jamie, "He's not going to be for here for a bit. Just passed by him."

Jamie gasped and looked to the window. Jack smiled and Jamie leapt from the sofa and hurried to the window, and despite the freezing temperatures outside, opened the window, allowing the Guardian room to slip in.

"Jack! What are you doing here?" Jamie said excitedly.

Jack shrugged, and he slipped nimbly into the house. Straightening, he said, "I was watching over the children of the world, obviously. Kind of my job now."

"You were guarding my house?" Jamie asked uncertainly, as Jack, turning to take in the entire decorated scene, made his way to the table with the lamp. On the table was a plate with a snowman on it, depicting it wearing a top hat and coal buttons. On top of the snowman was half a dozen cookies, all cutouts and messily made, no doubt by Jamie and Sophie. Next to the plate was a large glass of milk.

Privately thinking that Jamie should leave a small shot of vodka for the jolly bearded man, Jack flipped a cookie into one of his hands and taking a bite of it, turned to Jamie and said, shrugging, "Not really. Just came around to see the big man in action. And see you, it's been a while. It IS Christmas Eve, after all."

"Yeah, and I can't wait!" Jamie said excitedly, looking extremely happy. "My sister and I are staying up late to see him." He turned to look at Sophie, making Jack do so as well, and said, "Well, _I _am, at least."

"She tried, anyway," Jack said, shrugging. Taking another bite of cookie, he walked over to Sophie, and noticed above her head little images dancing about. They were made out of orange, shiny sand, shaped as eggs and bunnies and unicorns. Jack let out a laugh. "She's having happy dreams."

"Yep," Jamie said. "Good thing that Pitch isn't here anymore." The little boy looked a little concerned as he said, "You haven't seen him any more, have you?"

"Nope," Jack said after a moment, straightening from examining the skipping images in the little girl's dreams. He looked to Jamie, and both hands around his staff, he said, "He hasn't shown his face since Easter. Consider that a good thing, makes my whole job as a Guardian easier."

"Yeah," Jamie said with a laugh, and that was when Jack straightened, held a finger to his lips, and looked up toward the ceiling. Jamie looked up, and he whispered excitedly as the clip-clops of hooves hit the roof, "That's Santa!"

"Looks like North came on down south," Jack said as the sound of shuffling fell from the roof. Sounded like North was off of his sleigh now. Jamie rushed to the fireplace and looking alarmed, said, "Wait! I can't douse the fire! Dad would get mad!"

"Hmmm," Jack said, one of his hands slipping off of his staff as he walked over to the fireplace. On his knees like Jamie, he looked at the fire, and narrowing his eyebrows, said, "I have an idea."

He stood up as Jamie asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Add a little ice," Jamie said, and he sent ice through the fire, freezing it.

"How is that supposed to help?" Jamie said as Jack straightened. Jack sighed, shrugged, and said, "It was a good idea in my head. I'll rebuild the fire before I go."

"Nah, it's fine," Jamie said. "I'm sure Dad won't freak out too much."

The sounds of thumping filled the living room, and Jack bent and looked up into the chimney. Cupping a hand to his mouth, he called, "Coming, North?"

"Yes, yes, Jack, I'm hurrying," North said, "look out below!" and Jack quickly back away from the chimney, letting out a laugh as a large canvas bag, tied with a cord, fell on top of the frozen fire, causing it to crack, shatter, and send pieces all over the floor.

"The presents!" Jamie said excitedly, and he quickly darted forward.

Jack put down his staff and went up to the bag as well. Jamie had his hands gripping it, and Jack did so too. "Better get this out of here before he lands on it," Jack said. Together, the two grunted and from above, they heard North say, "Here I come!"

"Oh, no," Jack said, and the two boys managed to pull the bag out-of-the-way before North appeared at the bottom of the chimney. He was wearing his Russian hat, long red coat and boots, his tattoos showing despite the chill. Jack bent down to retrieve his staff and Jamie said, "Santa Claus!"

"North, if you please," North said good-naturedly. He bent down to the excited Jamie and said, "Ah, yes. Jamie Bennett, nine-years-old. You haven't been on the Naughty List yet, unlike Jack here."

"What can I say, North?" Jack said, shrugging as he leaned against his staff.

Jamie turned to look at him, mouth open in excitement, before turning back to North, who continued, "And of course, who can forget the boy who helped defeat Pitch Black!"

"You remember that?" Jamie asked.

"Of course I do. I remember and keep records. You've been a good boy this year, Jamie Bennett," North said, straightening. He looked to his bag, rubbing his hands together, to see two elves walking out of it, looking slightly dazed. North ordered, "All right, get out the presents." Looking around, he said, "Where are the cookies?"

"Right over there," Jamie pointed to the table. North nodded, and Jack quickly skipped over to the plate. Grabbing one for himself, he tossed the plate to North, who easily caught it. The man shook his head and Jamie said knowingly, "No wonder you're on the Naughty List."

"Can't help it," Jack said, taking another bite. He looked to the presents being unloaded from the bag, making Jamie do the same. The boy gasped when he saw the two elves stumbling as they brought out a new red bicycle.

"The bike I wanted!" he said excitedly, bounding over to help the poor elves pull it out.

"Yeah. The yetis were too busy to wrap any of the bikes. I'd do it myself, but I didn't get to it. I've got some of them up there now, making a mess of things wi'h the wrapping paper and the tape in the sleigh. Making a complete mess," North said with a laugh that made his large stomach rumble.

"Probably no less a mess than the cute and fluffy Bunny made," Jack said with a smirk.

"Yep. Still got throw up on the carpet. The Missus isn't too pleased," North said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked around and noticed the sleeping soundly Sophie on the couch, a little snore coming from her hair covered face. He smiled and said, "Little Sophie Bennett. Rather curious child."

"Most three-year-olds are," Jack said sarcastically.

"Yes, that is true," North said cheerfully. He turned to the canvas bag and reaching into it, picked out a pink gift and placed it under the Christmas tree along with others. He turned to do the stockings next.

"This is so exciting!" Jamie said, standing up from next to his new bike. "I've been waiting all night to see you, North!"

"THAT is what I call dedicated, son," North said with a smile. Done with the slightly shaking stockings, the man placed the bag on the floor and called, "Dingle, Bangle, c'mon, we still have sixty-three million homes to cover before Christmas morning."

The two elves, yawning, entered the sack, and North, tightening the cord, fling it behind his back, saying, "You two all right?" He was met with yeeps of being fine, and he turned into the chimney.

"Is he going to do the nose thing?" Jamie asked Jack excitedly.

"Well, more than likely."

North threw him a look as he stood in the large chimney. "Goodbye and good luck, Jamie," he said cheerfully.

"Thanks, North," Jamie said. "Merry Christmas."

"No problem. Merry Christmas," North said. Looking to Jack, who was leaning against his staff, he said, "Expect you the day after tomorrow?" North liked to sleep in a bit before the cocoa and cookies and celebrating the biggest, most glorious and beautiful, holy holiday of the year, so it was best to do other things after Christmas.

"Yep. I'm totally going beat you in ice skating, FYI," Jack said confidently.

North shook his head with a laugh. Jack leaned over to Jamie and whispered, "I've skated it for three hundred years. Kind of going to be hard to beat that."

Jamie beamed and the two of them turned to North, and Jack said, "Hey, are you going to say your famous words, or are we too beneath you to hear them?"

"_You_ are, but that's beside the point. Merry Christmas to all, and to _all _a good night," North said, a twinkle in his eye, and putting a sausage-like finger to the side of his nose, he disappeared out of sight.

Jack and Jamie hurried to the chimney to see that it was indeed empty, and they stepped back. Jamie let out a whoop and said, "This is the best Christmas ever!"

"I know, right?" Jack said, and he did mean it. This was the first year that he was a Guardian, the first year that he had someone believe in him, and the first year he ever got invited to North's workshop to hang out and go ice skating. He turned to Jamie, and bent to his level. "I gotta go now, make some Christmas snow appear in New York. It'll look nice, snow in the Big Apple."

"Okay," Jamie said, and he yawned. "Guess I should get to sleep."

"Do what you want," Jack said, straightening. Most nights he stayed up the entire time, creating snow and storms and ice and crystals. Who was he to stifle someone else's fun? "But, try to get _some _sleep." He sighed and looking at the window, strode over to it and opened it. Half of him out the window, he turned back to Jamie, who was watching him with a sort of admiration. "Hey, Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"Merry Christmas."

"Yeah, merry Christmas!"

And it just felt nice for someone to see him and wish him Merry Christmas. Jack smiled, and out of the window, closed it, and turned back to the wintry world. He heard church bells playing the sound of midnight, and letting out a frosty breath, whispered, "Merry Christmas."

And he met the wind, and flew off to spread more snow all around the world in time for the wonderful Christmas morning.

_The end._

**I'm such a Jack Frost fangirl, it isn't even FUNNY. I don't own the Night Before Christmas quote, and thank you for reading! Merry Christmas! :) God bless you!  
**


End file.
